TRAVEL WEEK RECAP: MY FAVORITE UNIQUE & SURPRISING HOTEL AMENITIES

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I recently spent 5 days in Las Vegas for Virtuoso Travel Week. Those 5 days included over 220 meetings with partners from around the world. With so much information being thrown at you, things inevitably start to blur together. I can’t tell you how many times I heard, “we have XX many rooms and they start at XX square feet”. So what really made the event worthwhile and special was learning about a lot of the surprising and unique amenities that many of my partners are offering guests. Keep reading for a round-up of some of my favorites!

Ritz Carlton Vienna – Rooftop Christmas Market. Christmas markets are all over Europe, but this is the only one on the roof of a hotel!

Source: Ritz Carlton

Armani Hotel Milano – 10% Discount at the Armani store. Perfect for fashionistas looking to do some shopping on their trip.

Belmond Cadogan Hotel – Morning Milk Delivery. Remember the good old days when the milk man came to your house every morning? Well it’s still reality at this posh new London address.

Source: Virtuoso

Sunset Key Cottages – Breakfast in a Picnic Basket. Every cottage at this Key West resort has a wrap-around porch and in the morning, guests will step outside to find a “Rise and Dine” breakfast basket of freshly baked breads and fruit waiting for them.

Source: Sunset Key Cottages

Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay – Bagpipes at Sunset. Despite its location in Northern California, this resort has a real Scottish feel with its golf heritage and sunset bagpiper.

Heckfield Place – In-House Cinema & Popcorn Machine. I love a private cinema but the screening room at Heckfield place is next level! With a regular schedule of films and documentaries, guests can self-serve from the popcorn machine outside and catch a flick almost any time they want.

Source: Heckfield Place

Baglioni Hotel Regina – Vintage Fiat City Tours. Car buff? Book a stay at the Baglioni Hotel Regina in Rome and you can tour the city in a vintage Fiat 500.

Source: Baglioni Hotel Regina

Loews Seattle – Virtual Golf. Seattle can be pretty rainy most months of the year, but you can still practice your swing at the Loews hotel with their indoor virtual golf simulator.

Source: Loews Hotels

The Shelbourne – Genealogy Butler. As I noted in my last post, genealogy tourism is on the rise, especially in England, Scotland and Ireland. The Shelbourne hotel in Dublin has hired its very own genealogy butler to meet the demand.

Source: The Shelbourne Hotel

Equinox Hotel – Sleep Science. The brand new Equinox Hotel at Hudson Yards in New York is the latest venture from the Equinox team, but they are the first to declare this is not a “gym hotel.” Instead they’re distinguishing themselves with a strong focus on sleep science. Rooms are “Dark. Quiet. Cool.” with “total soundproofing, next-generation blackout blinds, and integrated technology for effortless personalization.” They even have a sleep coach available to consult with guests.

Source: Equinox Hotels

Badrutt’s Palace – Snow Polo. You thought polo was only for warm weather? Think again! Badrutt’s Palace in Switzerland showcases snow polo on the frozen lake in front of the hotel every winter.

Source: Badrutt’s Palace

Ashford Castle – Lego Butler. This magical castle hotel is on everyone’s bucket list and kids will love it too with plenty of family-friendly touches including their very own lego butler.

Source: Ashford Castle

Kokomo Private Island – Manta Ray Adoption Program. This past summer, Kokomo Private Island in Fiji launched their manta ray conservation program with a unique adoption angle. Guests can purchase a tag and track their adopted ray throughout the course of its life.